Charlotte wants to opt out of TSA

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Director Jerry Orr said he’s wanted a private firm to do security screenings since 2001, when the TSA was created. He named a couple of reasons for that: First, a private firm would be more economical.

Yes it would be more economical, but the problem is they are still required to follow the same rules as TSA as far as identification and such. Kansas City International (MCI) has a private screening company, but they are just as bad. Pay is typically lower and since they aren’t federal employees they don’t have the attractive benefits TSA agents do. People often insult the intelligence of TSOs, but FirstLine employees are often much sloppier looking. MCI is still so fixated on liquids that they miss the proverbial forest for the trees. I’m not saying they are rude though. I’d say the screeners at MCI are as polite as the average KC resident.

If CLT opts of of TSA they will still be required to make everyone take their shoes off, but liquids, gels, and aerosols will still be restricted to 100mL or smaller containers in a quart sized baggie. They will still follow the whole ID = security farce. These policies need to change starting with TSA. If that doesn’t happen, then welcome the new boss, same as the old boss.

How many of you have been to SFO and had no clue those were not actual TSA employees? I rest my case.

Comments

we are private screeners at SFO where security is provided by Covenant Aviation Security LLC, please pass by any checkpoint and ask any screener about this ” myth” that private screeners do or will do a better job than the TSA screeners.
You will see that actually we are ” TSA screeners ” under a bad immitation uniforme that says C A S ( private security) .It’s a joke .we follow every procedure of TSa , we go by the same SOP , the same training , the same recertification every year.
where the difference one could ask ? The answer is given by Gerry Berry the vulture president of the company in an interview to one news outlet: the difference between a private screener and a government screener is you can fire the private screener in a matter of seconds..”
So congressman Mika please and with all due respect shut up. Don’t sell the safety of the traveling public to the private sector .
You got $ 81, 000 in contribution from those companies involved in security.

You also have, with the private company, a second “master”. A Company which can Add to those SOP Rules to go above and beyond but not less than the rules given by TSA.
You have a company which does fire its screeners but rarely do they fire its Rude and Incompetent Supervisors.
It is very difficult to look up to ones supervisor or lead when neither know what is going on, can answer simple questions, nor want to follow simple safety protocol because it would entail ‘work’. “Some other supervisor” will handle it…when all it needs is a simple call to get the paperwork going.
It is very hard to keep up morale having no one to back you, watching the lack of consistency from day to day, shift to shift.
This IS an Important Job, to me anyway, but after awhile you wonder if it IS, then how do the Powers that be explain(even in their own minds) the treatment of their Employees??